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There is a new park in West Newport Beach: Sunset Ridge Park, on the northwest corner of Superior and PCH, on the opposite corner from the strip center with the Jacki in the Box. There are ocean views from the park that includes fields for youth sports. You probably assume that...

In my last column, I discussed how Woody’s Wharf beat the city of Newport Beach in the appeals court after the city’s illegal conduct. One of Woody’s owners, Mark Serventi, told me that about the time Woody’s had its planning commission hearing, Newport Beach police cars were...

Dancing returns to Woody’s Wharf thanks to a January appeals court ruling. Woody’s Wharf has had dancing inside since the 1960s. But recently the city claimed their permits allowed live music but not dancing. After a neighbor’s complaint and harassment by the city, Woody’s...

The first Newport Beach City Council meeting with the four new reform council members was on December 9. The new members asked city staff to prepare plans to audit the city hall construction project and the tidelands fund. In addition to auditing the city hall spending, the audit...

In recent years we have suffered scrooges who have tried to interfere with both the cultural and religious aspects of Christmas and public expressions of faith. Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly has embarrassed a number of localities and merchants in recent years by exposing their “War On...

As you sat down for your Thanksgiving feast, did you take time to reflect on the origin of this American holiday? Separatist Congregationalists fleeing religious persecution by King James of England. travelled to the New World in 1620. Investors provided loans to finance the...

I have researched the candidates and I recommend Matthew Harper for California State Assembly. I have known both Keith Curry and Matthew Harper for a number of years, but my recommendation is based on their track records and stands on issues, not on personalities. Union Money and...

I have researched the candidates and have my recommendations for Newport Beach City Council: District 3: Marshall “Duffy” Duffield Mayor Rush Hill (Duffield’s opponent) was one of the primary drivers of the overpriced city hall. This cost Newport Beach taxpayers about $297...

I have written several times about the infamous $1,073 chairs purchased for the Newport Beach City Hall. After multiple requests, I finally received the invoice from the city dated March 1, 2013. Tara Finnegan, Public Information Manager for the city of Newport Beach, said that...

It appears that Newport Beach City Clerk Leilani Brown misstated an important city election rule. The issue is about the rights of minority owners of businesses to donate to city council campaigns once their company makes a maximum donation, or vice versa. Four owners of Woody’s...

Two months ago, I wrote about the new city hall building that, according to a report in the OC Register, was “furnished with high-end furniture and fixtures, including 204 leather Herman Miller chairs designed by modernist designers Charles and Ray Eames, at a cost of $1,073...

Again this year, Newport Beach residents were denied the right to use any fireworks, even the “safe and sane” varieties sold in neighboring cities. My July 4 column included a discussion on fireworks, including John Adams’ exhortation that Americans celebrate our Independence Day...

Today is the 4th of July. It’s the day we celebrate America’s independence from England. Angered by the Stamp Act, the Intolerable Acts and the list of grievances in the Declaration of Independence, American patriots fought for freedom. At that time, England was ruled by arguably...

D-Day was 70 years ago today. According to the website army.mil/d-day, “On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the...

Two weeks ago, I wrote about Residents For Reform (residentsforreform.com) and their concerns about excessive city spending. I discussed a 2013 Orange County Register article stating that the new city hall was “furnished with high-end furniture and fixtures, including 204 leather...

A new political action committee has been launched to advocate that Newport Beach city government cut spending and taxes. It is Residents for Reform and can be found at residentsforreform.com. The PAC was started by local activist Bob McCaffrey. On its web site, Residents for...